Despite the clear and definite danger, most motorists in Saudi Arabia still make a habit of talking on their mobile phones while behind the wheel. Not even the express warning of breaking the law seems to deter them from the habit that has almost become second nature, despite the availability of technologies and gadgets that should help them do away with using the actual handsets while driving. “I think it's hard for me to stop making or receiving calls while I'm driving,” said Mosa Madani, a teacher at a private high school, “but after this new law, I do agree it would be a good opportunity for us to force ourselves to stop doing that.” He said he saves a lot of time by making and taking calls during his commute between home and work, so for him to stop altogether is out of the question. “Using a handsfree system has become a must now,” he added. As of next month, the new traffic law bans drivers from talking into their handsets while driving. Instead, it stipulates using in-car wireless handsfree systems.” Statistics show that, besides speeding, the lack of driver attention is one of the primary causes of accidents, especially distraction caused by talking on the phone. “The new laws and regulations will be applied within a month from now,” said Major Zaid Al-Hashem Al-Hamzi, director of Public Relations at Jeddah's Traffic Department. “Talking on the mobile phone while driving used to be considered a criminal offense in the previous law, but the new coming law has elevated the punishment from class three to class two. He added that violators would be fined between SR150 and SR300 as a maximum. “Before taking action according to the new regulations, there would be awareness campaigns through the media and traffic officers in the streets to educate the public about the dangers of this bad practice,” he added. __
